Improvement in grain-binders



2 Sheets'Sheet 1..

Paten ted Dec. 22, 1868.

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3. n. CARPENTER.

Grain Binder.

WV' 'ZK eSA eg I KM FHDTO-LITHDGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D. G.

r 2 Sheets-Shed 2. S. D. CARPENTER.

Grain Binde r.

Patented Dec; 22, 1868.

U ITED STAT S] PATE T O FICE;

s. D. CARPENTER, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT l N GRAIN-BINDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 85,209, dated December22, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, S. D. CARPENTER, of

Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Binding Grain; anddo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and -exactdescription thereof, referenc'e being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this specification, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, like letters indicating like parts wherever they occur.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, Iwill proceed to slack of the same, these devices being. in-

tended for use in connection with an improved grain-binder, for apatenton which I haverecently filed an application, though they may beused with other binders also.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of theshuttle, with a portionbroken away to show the interior arrangement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection, taken on the line 00 w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aview of the cutterand holder, detached, in perspective; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view,illustrating the manner of holding and cutting the wire. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal section of the spool and attachments, and Fig. 6 is asectional view, taken onthe line 2 z of Fig. 5.

The shuttle consists of a shell, A, made in two parts, it being dividedlongitudinally, one forming the upper and the other the lower half ofthe shell A. Each part is formed with a projecting point or prong, L, onone side, and with a short projecting shoulder, f, on the other, whichshoulder f fits into a corresponding recess in the adjoining prongL,'where it is fastened by a screw, as shown in Fig. 1. The rear part ofthe shell is so formed that when the two halves are united they willform a tube or sleeve at that point to receive a bolt or wrist, I, whichserves to support the shuttle, and 011 which it turns freely, a ferrule,H, being screwed onto the end-of the tubular portion, and holding theparts firmly together. Within the shell is formed a circular recess, inwhich is located the twisting and cutting apparatus,'there be-. ing anadditional recess, of less diameter, in

each half or side of the shell, beyond that in r 1 on the opposite innerfaces of the shell, as

shown in Fig. 2. Around the outer face of this wheel B is a series ofcogs, a, which extend from one fiange,.o, to the other, as shown in.Fig. 2; and vertically through the wheel there is a slit from itsperiphery to the center, as shown in Fig. 1, the wheel being so turnedin said figure as to represent this slit as being opposite, and forminga continuation of the slit or spacebetween'the prongs L of the shuttle,in order to permit the wire to be drawn therein to the center of thetwister-wheel B.

The shuttle or shell A has a channel cut dotted lines a, Fig. 1, thischannel being of a width equal to the width of the face of the cogsa,thus forming a space for the teeth a to project in, and for the teeth ofthe rack that operates the twister, as described in my applicationhereinbei'ore referred to, to enter, for

the purpose of engaging with the teeth a of the wheel B.

The wheel B has a hole made near its center, of proper size, to receivethe body or axis (1 of the cutter D, and it also has a recess or cavityformed on each side of the slit of sutficient size to permit the cutterD to be shoved therein, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1,where the cutter is represented as being swung around into the recess onthe right of the slit.

The cutter D, with its axis 0 andarm F, is

formed of a single piece of steel, in the form represented in Fig. 3.The cutter D is made to answer a double purpose, both cutting 0k andalso holding the wire; and for these purposes it has its edgese formedso as to out like a shear-blade against a fixed blade or anface of theshell.

nular plate, G, of which there are two, one

above and the other below the cutter,and both secured within thecavityiu the wheel or twister B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ends ofthese plates Gr coming even with the slit in the wheel B, as shown inFig. 1. The opposite corners i of the cutter D are slightly rounded orbeveled, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, the plates G beingcorrespondingly rounded, .for the purpose of permitting the wire to bepressed between the cutter and the plate Gr tightly, and thus holding itsecurely while the shuttle is being carried around the bundle and theband twisted, as hereinafterexplained.

It will be observed that the cutting-edges e are located diagonally onopposite sides of the cutter D, and that the rounded edges 11 arearranged in the samejposition reversed, which is done for the reasonthat the shuttle is reversed each time a bundle is bound, so that,whichever side up the sh ut tlemay chance to he, the cutting will alwaysbe effected at the same point, and the wire, also be held at the samepoint uniformly.

In a shallow recess on one side of the shell A is located a stop, F,similar in construction to those'used in watches,-and as represented inFig. 1, there being an arm, E, attached to and projecting from the axis0 of the cutter, in such a manner as to operate on the stop F. Theobject of this arrangement is to regulate the number of twists tobe'given to the wire.

There is aspring, c, secured within the cavity to one part of the shell,which spring has its opposite end bearin g on the wheel B, and thusserving, by its friction or pressure, to prevent the wheel from beingmoved accidentally, there being, also, a friction or spring plate, a,bearing on the stop F for a similar purpose, a cap, 1, fitting in overthe stop F, flush with A friction-roller, I), is secured on the outerface of the shell A at the point where the slit inthe wheel Bterminates, as shown in Fig. 2, for the wire to run over as it is drawnthrough the slit.-

The operation of the shuttle is. as follows: The loose end 0 of the wireis first secured by being inserted in the slit in the wheel B, and

then pressing the cutter D over so as to jam or squeeze thewire betweenits round edge andrthe plate G, as represented in Figs. 2 and 4. Theshuttle is then passed around the bundle, by the means described in myformer application, and, as it comes around to the line of the wirewhere it is being drawn oh" the spool, the loose strand m enters theslit between the prongs L, and, as the shuttle advances, is forced intothe slit to the center of the wheel B. By the time, or soon after, thishas occurred, the teeth a on the wheel B will engage with the teeth of arack, also described in my previous application, by which the wheel ortwister B will be made to revolve, and thereby twist the fast and looseends 0 and m of the wire, as represented in Fig. 2, the twisting takingplace in the slit, below the cutter, on. the, side next to the bundle.The teeth on the rack which engage with the teeth a of wheel B, I makeof such a number, in relation to those on the wheel, as to causethelatter to rotate four times, and as it rotates in the direction ofthe-,arrow, it will carry with it the cutter D, causing the arm E ateach revolution to engage with one of the notches in the stop F, ofwhich, as shown in 'Fig. 1, there are three. The arm E thus turns thestop F one notch at each revolution of the wheel B, and as it comesaround the fourth time, the arm will strike against the stop at a pointwhere there is no notch, and rest against it, as represented in Fig; l,but on the opposite side. The wheel B continuing to move after the arm Fstrikes against the side of the stop, will carry the cutting-edge of theplate G, which, it will be remembered, is fast to the wheel,along withit, past the cutting-edge e' of i the cutter D, thereby cutting off thestrand m, and, as the cutter is forced to the opposite side of the slitin the wheel, at the same time releasing the strand 0 that was heldunder the cutter,'and, by the same movement, securing the strand m atthe opposite end of the cutter, as previously described.

In Fig. 2 the wire is represented as just' twisted, and the cutter Dready to be thrown to the opposite side of the slit, for the pur' poseof cutting off the strand m above the twist and securing it at the upperend of D.

In Fig. 4 the movement of the parts is represented as completed, thestrand mhaving been cut by the upper edge e, and secured under the loweredge '5, thestrand 0 which was held'by the cutter D on the opposite sidebeing released by the movement of the cutter,

permits the bundle to drop, which thus draws the twisted wire with itsprojecting end 0 out of the slit in the wheel and shuttle. ity in thewheel D, on each side of the slit and in which the cutter D moves, ismade of such a size that there is but little more than enough space forthe cutter D to rest in, the sides or walls of this cavity beingindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The jamming or pressingof the wire between the rounded edge and end ofthe cutter and the plate G, together with thepressu're of a spring, 12,secured to the side of the wheel B, and pressing against the under faceof the arm E, as shown in Figs; 1 and 2, serves to hold the cutter D inposition with sufficient force to cause its arm E to turn the stop Fwithout releasing the wire, until the stop has ceased to turn, and thearm is arrested in its movement by striking against the side of thestop, as above stated.

The pulling of the wire from the spool causes the shuttle to revolvehalf way on its wrist 1, thereby turning the shuttle the other side up,so that at the next operation the twisting and cutting will be effectedat the opposite side of the shuttle, this being rendered necessary bythe fact that the strand from the spool when out off is first securedThe cavon one side of the shuttle, and the next time on the oppositeside, the twisting always occurring on the lower side, next to thebundle, while the fastening of the strand always takes place on the sidethat is above or toward the spool, the turning of the shuttle by thetension of the wire occurring just after the bundle is released and atthe instant the shuttle leaves the race in which is the rack thatoperates the wheel B, as described in my' previous application.

In practice, I find about number twenty, American gage, to be the bestsized wire for use; and Iprefer to give it-four twists, as less thanthat number of twists fails to secure it firmly, and more than that isapt to-fracture the wire.

As the shuttle moves in a circle, the rack that operates the wheel Bmust also be formed on the arc of a circle; and to prevent the teeth ofthe rack from catching on the shuttle, or interfering with itsmovements, the channel in the sides of the shell A has its upper andlower walls formed on the arc of a circle also, as represented by thedotted lines t of Fig. 2, the outer' walls or surfaces of theshuttle-shell A being also rounded off around its sides and edges, toprevent the wire from catching thereon.

It will be understood that the shuttle moves past the rack with one ofits broadest faces or sides uppermost, it alternating at eachrevolution, moving with first one and then the other face uppermost.

The Wire is wound upon a spool, T, Fig. 5, which spool is mountedloosely on an axis or pin, d, and between the spool and the arm R, thatsupports the axis d, is placed a case, P, which has wound within it aspring, a, one end of which is secured to the case P, and its oppositeend to the axis d, as shown in Fig. 6, a pin, w, projecting from theside of the case, and fitting into a hole in the end of the spool, andthus serving to unite the two, so that whenthe spool is turned, bydrawing off the wire, the spring a is wound up around the axis at untilthe force becomes sufficient to turn the axis cl in its bearingin thesupport or bracket R, the object of this spring being to take up anyslack in the wire that may occur between the spool and the shuttle, andthus keep the wire always taut, and prevent kinks or snarling.

To regulate the tension on the wire while being drawn off from thespool, I place upon the axis (Z, on the opposite side of the bracket R,a rubber disk or spring, 0, between two washers, g, and outside of thata nut, h, there being a collar, y, attached rigidly to the axis d, andbearing against the opposite side of the support B, so as to increasethe friction on the axis d, and still leave the spool free to turn whenoperated by the spring or the wire. By these means I can regulate thetension of the wire as may be desired. By screwing up the nut h the disk0 is compressed, thereby increasing the friction of the parts, and, ofcourse, increasing the tension or strain on the wire, and unscrewing thenut h decreases the friction, and, consequently, the tension.

This take-up and tension apparatus it is obvious may be applied to anybinding-machine where wire or twine isused, whether this style ofshuttle be used or' not.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent. is- I 1. A shuttle consisting of the shell A,having the twister B and cutter D arranged therein, all constructed andarranged to operate substantially as described.

2. The twister consisting of the flanged and toothed wheel B, having aslit forthe entry of the wire, substantially as described.

3. The cutter consisting of the axis 0, blade D, and arm E,substantially as described. i

4. The combination of the wheel B and cutter D, constructed and arrangedto operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the wheelB, cutter D, with its arm E, and the stopF, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

6. In combination with a spool for holding the wire, the spring a, whenarranged to operate as set forth, for taking up the slack.

7. The combination of the friction-spring O, the loose shaft d, with thecollar y attached rigidly thereto, and mounted in a support, R, with theadjustable nut h, all arranged to operate substantially as described.

S. D. CARPENTER.

Witnesses:

P. T. DODGE, L. HAILER.

